Past projects 217
Costuming our School Musical
Funded May 8, 2025I cannot thank you enough for your generous support of our school musical. The items arrived in time to boost our well-received production of Disney's 'Aladdin.' This dedicated cast of 3rd-5th graders had been working so hard for months to prepare for this production. The costumes and props empowered our students, honoring their hard work and delighting their audience. The head wraps and scarves costumed our stage crew and chorus members and princes, and the props added a touch of humor to the play, and helped to clearly convey the story. Thanks to you, every participating student got a chance to wear a costume. This was an experience our students will remember for years to come. Thanks again for bringing 'Aladdin' to life in this underresourced public school.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 5 other donors.Aladdin and Jafar
Funded May 1, 2025I cannot thank you enough for your generous support of our school musical. The costumes arrived in time to boost our well-received production of Disney's 'Aladdin.' This dedicated cast of 3rd-5th graders had been working so hard for months to prepare for this production. The costumes empowered our students, honoring their hard work and delighting their audience. A lot of the costumes we got from thrift stores, but thanks to you, Aladdin and Jafar had the official costumes from Disney, which helped to clearly convey the story. Thanks again for bringing 'Aladdin' to life in this underresourced public school. The students involved will remember this experience for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
Aladdin Enters the Cave of Wonders
Funded May 8, 2025I cannot thank you enough for your generous support of our school musical. The items arrived in time to boost our well-received production of Disney's 'Aladdin.' This dedicated cast of 3rd-5th graders had been working so hard for months to prepare for this production. The costumes and props empowered our students, honoring their hard work and delighting their audience. The cave guardian scene was a great success, thanks to the lantern, costumes and prison shackles. The props added a touch of humor to the play, and helped to clearly convey the story. Thanks again for bringing 'Aladdin' to life in this underresourced public school.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 4 other donors.Getting Around Town
Funded May 7, 2025Thank you so much for your generous donation of transit maps and a board game to our classroom. We are located directly across from a CTA station. All of the students are aware of this proximity and of the train, but many don't know the details about all the places the train can take them. These posters have piqued the interest of students of ALL ages and cognitive abilities. Today, I saw some 1st graders looking at the map of the Red Line, and one of them talking about how one of their relatives lives by 63rd. Middle schoolers are a tough crowd in any school; these maps have generated a lot of interest. The board game is a welcome and real-life way to learn about geography. Thank you for helping my students learn more about the community they live in.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 4 other donors.Listen to My Beat!
Funded May 8, 2025Thank you for providing our students with new headphones. These items were immediately put to good use in the music classroom. Our students were very excited to see the new headphones in the classroom, because we had been running low. Before your generous donation, only about half of the students had functioning headphones to hear the music sequencing software with. Now, everyone can hear. This greatly enhances the quality of education for our students. The kids have been having a lot of fun making their own beats and musical compositions. Thanks to you, now everyone can participate in the fun more fully. Thanks, as well, for Jafar's staff. The staff has made our whole cast, especially the student playing Jafar, so happy. We really appreciate your gifts.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 2 other donors.Clarinet Classroom
Funded May 6, 2025Thank you so much for your generosity! Our 5th graders have been hard at work learning to play the clarinet. They have come so far in the months since we started, and I am so proud of what they have accomplished this year. The students were overjoyed and grateful to receive the new clarinet reeds and thumb rests. Reeds are essential supplies, so having a good stock will ensure that the music keeps on playing. The ukulele hooks and oil diffuser have helped to organize and keep the music room enjoyable to be in. Thank you again for the thoughtful donation, which has impacted the musical education of this historically underserved population. We appreciate you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 3 other donors.We Love Music and Art
Funded May 9, 2025Thank you so much for your generosity. This colorful paper will make a huge impact. Our choir folders will be so much more organized and user-friendly, especially for students with special needs. I will now be able to photocopy and stuff the folders with plenty of music, which will now be located by students during class due to the color coding. Our students have been singing spirituals and jazz standards, including 'Wade in the Water,' 'Lil Liza Jane,' and 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off.' The addition of more colored paper will help me bring even more memorable music to our students. The glue will keep our crafting afloat until the end of the school year and beyond. Thanks again.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 3 other donors.Music Literacy to Excite and Engage
Funded Apr 9, 2025I can't thank you enough for your generous donation of books to our music classroom. The music theory workbooks are already coming in handy. By photocopying a few pages, all of our 3rd-8th graders will have plenty to reinforce their music literacy skills and to build their confidence. 'First, We Sing' has been an amazing resource, giving me a guide and plan to teach classic songs that I oftentimes forget to include in our primary curriculum! Those books also included audio downloads, which we have been enjoying. The storybook 'Drumbeat in Our Feet' has piqued their interest, especially the topographical map of Africa on the last page. Thanks again for providing us with useful books for our young scholars.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 4 other donors.Dragon Dance
Funded Feb 5, 2025Thank you so much for the props, costumes, scarves and veils for our music program. The students were delighted to use the items, and are very excited to perform with them in our upcoming musical production, 'Aladdin.' These props, veils and belly dance skirts have empowered our students. Rehearsing, dancing and singing in the school musical is the highlight of the school year for so many of our students. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thanks again for bringing props and costumes for dance and performance to our students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Express and 7 other donors.Collaborate to Create: Digital Music Workshop
Funded Mar 17, 2025Thank you so much for donating to our music program. This license for Soundtrap software has brought an engaging and inspiring learning experience to our students. The 50 seats for Soundtrap were assigned last week to 7th graders who were hungry to get started making their own music. We have several talented rappers and singers in the class: now, everyone is dreaming big while creating original beats and backing tracks with this powerful software. Thank you, friends and LOFT, for helping to bring Soundtrap to Gillespie. The students are enjoying it.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Patton